EU Approves Total
Ban on Russian Gas by 2027

Luxembourg,
20 Oct (ONA) — The European Union (EU) has moved to end all imports of
Russian natural gas by the end of 2027, following a majority vote by member
states during a meeting of European energy ministers in Luxembourg.

The
measure is aimed at depriving Moscow of a major source of revenue used to fund
its war in Ukraine. Denmark, which currently holds the EU’s rotating
presidency, aims to secure final approval for the ban before the start of the
coming year.

The
proposal faced strong opposition from Slovakia and Hungary, two landlocked
nations heavily dependent on Russian energy. However, their objections failed
to gather the majority needed to block the decision.

The
EU has been working to eliminate its dependency on Russian fossil fuels since
the escalation of the conflict in February 2022. While the bloc has already
completely halted imports of Russian oil, it continues to rely on Russian
natural gas supplies. Russia’s share of the EU’s total gas imports has declined
significantly, falling from 45% in 2021 to 19% in 2024.

—
Ends/Khalid